Student Publications
University of Houston
151C Communications Bldg
Houston, TX 77204-4015
713.743.5350

©1991-2007
Student Publications,
All rights reserved.

Last modified:

Contact:
ktruitt@uh.edu

Opinion

Bowser, meet Locke; Locke, Bowser

Shaun Rodriguez
Opinion Columnist

Video games just can't seem to stop catching a bad rep these days. Imagine this: you go to your local Gamestop or EB Games to buy the next Grand Theft Auto (because let's face it, there's a reason it's such a huge seller folks, and it certainly is not because of the violence), only to find that it is priced $20-$30 higher than any of the other less-violent games for the same system. Well, if Republican gubernatorial candidate Star Locke is elected as governor of Texas in March, then that is exactly what will happen.

Locke has proposed to scrap the state's current property tax system in favor of new taxes instituted against abortion providers, soft drinks and of course, violent video games in order to help fund the state government. This new vice tax comes from his following stance on all vices: 

"I take the position that the power to tax is the power to destroy. So, our concept is that we need to tax things we don't want, and you want to not tax things that you want to encourage." 

Excuse me, but I do not recall exclaiming that I do not want violent video games, and I certainly do not want to have to shell out more for a game because you think I should. 

Violent games are still creative games, and taking an action such as this will be helping to stifle game developers and their ability to innovate (such as creating games like GTA or Halo). This infringes on me and every other gamer, casual and hardcore alike, who simply wants to enjoy his or her digital worlds in peace.

Since I am sure that the majority of Texas is not made up of gamers, let's look at this from another perspective. Do you, as a college student, want to pay more for alcohol, cigarettes or even for a bottle of soda? Does the state of Texas have the right to tax something you love simply because they consider it a vice? Don't get me wrong, I despise cigarettes and tobacco companies, but this isn't about just cigarettes; this is about your right as a consumer to purchase the things you choose to enjoy without being exploited by the state because the state disagrees with your habits. 

At least cigarettes have been scientifically proven to endanger a person's health. I can understand taxing them even if I do not necessarily condone it. But with violent video games, the final word would be left up to Locke and his 10-member panel that will ultimately review each game. Excuse me if I don't care what they think of a particular game; I simply want to be able to purchase Halo 3 without having to pay more than the already exorbitant game prices ($60 for an XBox 360 game, anyone?)

People shouldn't be made to pay more for violent games just because of Locke's opinion of them. I urge anyone going to the polls this March not to vote for this man. If he is elected governor, all I can say is that I will be on the first plane to Arizona; I certainly know where I'm not wanted.

Rodriguez, an opinion columnist for The Daily Cougar, 
can be reached via dccampus@mail.uh.edu